Apparatus for handling annular articles



Aug. 28, 1951 M. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ANNULAR ARTICLES Filed June 28, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l b N R. m Y uw. mm N. E.. m Q

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KAPPARATUS FOR HANDLING ANNULAR ARTICLES Filed June 28, 1947 3 Sheets-Shea?I 2 INVENTOR. fix/Es MORGAN A TTORNEY' Aug. 28, 1951 M. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ANNULAR ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 28, 1947 n INVENTOR. MYLES MORGAN BY Qawyv f- A TT'OR Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED 'STATES PATENTg OFFICE APPARATUs'FoR HANDLING ANNULAR ARTICLES Myles Morgan, Worcester,` Mass., assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester,A Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,735

This invention relates to apparatus for handli'ng annular articles, and more particularly to apparatus for conveying and piling annular coils of strip metal, such as steel.

It is one object of the invention to provide an apparatus which will greatly reduce the amount of'manual labor required in the handlingv of annular articles. n

g Itis a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus capable of receiving` annular articles such as coils of strip steel, which arrive one at a time, and adapted to arrange such coils kin piles for convenience in subsequent handling. vIt is a further object' of the invention to pro- -Vide a new and advantageous conveyor .of the idler roller type, together with an improved form 'of pallet arrangedto be supported on the conveyor and to receive metal coils or other articles. It is a further object of the invention to provvide a strong and rugged pallet of a compara- .tively light and inexpensive construction, capable Vof .being transported on a. roller conveyor as well as by a lift'truck of the usual type.

With these and other objects in view, as will `be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts setforth in the specication and covered by the claims apvlpended hereto.

Referring to the drawingsillustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, l 'Fig 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for'conveying and piling annular coils of strip steel;

Fig. l2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; .,"Fig 3 is a section taken on the line`3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; f

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a diagram of the electrical Wiring 1 used in connection with certain controls forming a portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. `and Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a pallet.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a pallet conveyor I5 including two parallel rows of comparatively short horizontal idler rollers I5, the rows being horizontal and spaced a substantial .distance apart. The rollers I6 in each row are rsupported between an inner horizontal beam I1 '10 claims. (ci. 214-6) of.. L cross section .and an outer horizontal beam Ill-of channel cross section. These beams l1 and I8 are mounted on transversely extending ties I9. l v f The conveyor I5 is arranged to support a series -of pallets or skids 2|.r Each of these pallets, as

best shown in Fig. 9, comprises a metal sheet 'providing a horizontal table.22 and two opposite vfaces of theextended portions being curved upwardly. 'Ihe spacinglbetween the runners is such that they may rest upon the respective rows of conveyor rollers I6,` as shown in Fig. 8. Sufficient vspace is provided between the table 22 andthe xtops of the runners 25 to permit the insertion yof. the horizontal tongue or blade 26 of an ordinary.l lift truck, which may be employed to re- A.move pallets from the conveyor or to replace them thereon. 1 Y

Means is associated with the pallet'conveyor I5 whereby each pallet 2l may be raised and lowered in av desired manneras it reaches a predetermined position. along the conveyor. For this purpose an elevator platform 28 is prcvided'between the two rows of idler rollers I6, this platform being of the proper size and shape to engage the lower edges of the end walls 23 of` the pallet. YThe platform 28 is supported on the -upper. end of a hollow piston rod 23 which hasa piston 30-0n its lower end. The piston is slidable within a vertical cylinder 3 IV which is located within a pit 32 and supported by a bracket 33. .The cylinder 3| and its associated .fluid motor,` and it will be understood thathyparts form a draulic pressure fluid may be suppliedto the motor in a well-known manner under manual con- .trol to raise or lower the platform 28. In` order Yto-prevent'the platform from turning, a'vertical .rod- 34 `(Fig. 5)1 extends .downwardly` therefrom through aguide opening in the bracket 33.7

.: Each pallet 2I is adapted to receive -a'stack'or vpile of annular coils C of stripV metal, suclras -steel`,which are placed upon the pallet onevat a vtime while vitis supported by the elevatorv4 plat- 'form 223. In order t9 deliver' 12111590115, ,into pole .tionr regardless of its outside diameter..V

tion for the piling operation, there is provided a. coil conveyor 33 comprising a row of comparatively long horizontal idler rollers 31 which are supported at their ends in two spaced parallel beams 38. These beams are mounted on a suitable supporting structure 3Q, and they are preferably slightly inclined so that the coils will travel along the conveyor by the action of gravity'. The coil conveyor 35 is located close to the pallet conveyor l5 at one side thereof, but at a somewhat higher elevation. As viewed in plan, the two conveyors are parallel.

Means is provided to stop each coil C automatically as it reaches a position. directly oppoesite the elevator platform 28. For thispurpose a bracket 4I (Figs. 4 and 6) is secured to the beams 38 to provide a guideway for a vertically;

slidable plunger 42 which carries on its upper end a dog 43 arranged to be projected upwardly-v into the hollow center or eye of the coil. Since all .the coils will ordinarily be formed upon the same ,arbor or. ceiling block, they will all have eyes ofthe same diameter, althoughthe outside diameters of the coils may vary occasionally. Consequently, theeifectof the dog-43 will be to stop each coil with .its axis in a definitev posi.-

The plunger 42. is moved up and down by a iiuid motor 44 carried by the bracket 4l and supplied with pressure fluid. (such as compressed air) from a` pipe 45 (Fig..7) under the. control of a four- Way solenoid valve 46 having a solenoid 41. The solenoid is connected in a circuit with a suitab1e.source 49 of electricalenergy through two swtchesSDand 5i. The switch 58 is manually controlled and is. normally closed. The switch 5I isnormallvopen, and is arranged to be closed automatically by a. lever. 52 (Fig. 4) when. the

uppergend of this lever ismoved downwardly by the advancing portion of acoil, the. lever being biased against suchV movement by a tensionspring 53.

Such ,automaticclosure of the switch 5I will energize .the.solenoid.41, ,thereby actuating the `valve 46 and causing Athe motor` 44 to projectA the. plunger 42 andthe dog 43 upwardly into Atheeyeiof thev coil tostop further: movement thereof along the conveyor.

By opening the switch 50, the operator can de-energize .the solenoid -41 and cause the dog `43 to be retracted, so .l .that the coil will be released and vwill continue to travel ,along the conveyor 36 rather than be transferred laterally to the elevator platform 28, as will be described hereinafter. Ordinarily only undersize or otherwise defectivecoils will be released inthis manner. n

In ordento avoidany possible interferenceby the-dog 43 with the lateral movement of. the

coils, the dog is pivotally mounted on the plunger 42,., as best shown in Fig.- 6, .and biased toward its upright position. bygmeans of a tension. spring 54. For a similar. reason, the upper portionof the beam. 38 nearest the Apallet conveyor is cut awayvto form a shallow notch 55 adjacent the elevator platform 28.

Means is provided to stop the coils C as they travel downwardly along the conveyor 36 and approach the dog 43, the said means being controlled manually to release one coil at a time.

For this purpose there is shown an escapement mechanism comprising a verticallyv movable stop member-51 (Fig. 4) locatedbetween two ofthe conveyor rollers 31 a short distance anterior to the dog- 43, and a group of brake shoes .58

-mounted ona vertically movable bar 59 and 4 arranged to engage the lower surface of several of the rollers 31 anterior to the stop member 51. There are suicie'nt unbraked rollers 31 between the stop member 51 and the brake shoes 58 to accommodate one of the coils C. A Iiuid motor 60 is connected to the stop member 51 by a link 6I and bell crank 62, and to the brake bar 59 by a link 63 and bell crank 64, the construction being such that when the stop member 51 is raised the bar 59 will be lowered, and vice versa. In known manner, the motor 60 will be supplied with pressure fluid, such as compressed air, under the control of a manually operable four-wayvalve (not shown). It will be apparent that when. the` stop member 51 is raised to its operative position to stop one coil, the brake shoes will bel released to permit the following coil to come into contact with the first coil. When ythe stop member is withdrawn to release the first coil, the brake shoes will be applied to hold the following coil stationary.

The invention provides a mechanism for transferring coils laterally, one at a time, from the coil conveyor 36 to a pallet 2| supported on the elevator platform 28, thus forming a pile or stack of superimposed coils on such pallet. For this purpose there is provided an electro-magnet 56 which can be moved horizontally back and forth between a position directly above the coils. as they are stopped by the dog 43, and a position directly above the elevator platform 28. A flexible cable 61 supplies this magnet with electric current, under the control of the operator.

In order to support the magnet there is provided a carriage 69 comprising a pair of spaced parallel horizontal 'beams 18 extending at right angles to the conveyors I5 and 36. These beams are connected at their rear ends by a cross-member 1I, at. points intermediate their length by a cross-member 12, and near their front ends rby a bracket 13. This bracket provides a support for three rotatable nuts or internally threaded sleeves 15, with their axes vertical, ,each nut having a gear 16 on its upper end. The three gears 16 mesh with a central pinion 11 which can beV rotated by means of a handwheelv 18. Within eachnut 15 there'is provided a-.threaded rod or screw 8U having its lowerend enlarged and pivotally connected byV a transverse pin 8l to upright ears 82 on the top of the magnet 66. The magnet is suspended by the screws 8D with its lower surface parallel with and slightly higher than the upper surface ofthe Vcoil C as the latter is stoppedby the dog 43, as shown in Fig. 4. By turning the handwheel 18, the operator can raise or lower the magnet to accommodate coils of different widths.

The carriage :59 is slidablysupported by a stationary framework comprising two horizontal beamsx84-located at opposite sides of the carriage beams 18 and parallel therewith. The beams 64 areconnected at their rear ends by a crossmember 85, and at points intermediate `their length by a cross-member 86,r these parts being supported on columns 81. The front portions of the beams -84 extend'across the coil conveyor 36, and on their upper surfaces there-are formed ribs or rails 89 to support double-hanged wheels 90 carried by brackets 9| whichareattached to the outer sides of the carriage beams 10, near the cross member 12. Two other brackets 93 are attached to the outer sides of the carriage beams 18 near the rear ends thereof, and these brackets 93 support two single flanged wheels 94- which engage the lower surfaces ofthe beams 84. Vllt l contact with thebeams 84.

' By sliding the carriage 69 forwardly from its retracted position, the magnet 66 may be moved from aposition above the coil conveyor 36 to a position above the elevator platform 28, as in- .dicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2. This movement of the carriage is preferably effected by a power actuated mechanism, and for this purpose a fluid motor 96 is supported at itsopposite ends on the respective cross-members 85 and 86, be tween the two beams 84. A piston rod 91 extends from the front end of this motor and con- Anects with the cross-member 12 of thecarriage.

It will be understood that the motor 96 willbe supplied with pressure fluid under the control of a manually operable four-way valve, in a wellknown manner, so that the carriage 69 may be moved forwardly and rearwardly as desired. In

.order yto control vthe cable y61 during the movements of the carriage, a portion of the cable is preferably coiled on a spring-actuated cable reel 9B of well-known construction, which will pay off cable during forward carri-age travel and coil up cable during rearward carriage travel.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the above disclosure. A supply of empty pallets 2| will be provided on the conveyor I5 at the left side of the elevator platform 28, as shown in Fig. 5, Vwith their runners 25 resting on the conveyor rollers IB. VThe platform 28 will be lowered by means of the motor 3|, and an empty pallet will be pushed along the conveyor to a position directly above the platform, whereupon the platform will be raised until the upper surface of the pallet is only slightly lower than the tops of the adjacent rollers 31 of the coil conveyor 36. Coils C will be supplied to the upperend of the conveyor 35 and will descend along the same by gravity, with the lowermost coil resting against the stop member 51 (Fig. 4). The operator will retract this stop member by means of the motor 60, which will at the same time apply the brake shoes 5'8. The lowermost coil C will then descend by gravity until it engages and depresses the lever 52, closing the switch 5|, energizing the solenoid 41 of the valve 46, and causing the motor 44 to raise the plunger 42 and project the dog 43 into the eye ofthe coil to stop the coil as it reaches a position directly beneath the magnet 66. This may be referred to as the unloading position or station. The operator will then reverse the motor 6|) to raise the stop member 51 and release the brake shoes 58, so that the following coil may descend further into contact with the stop member. The magnet 66 will now be energized, causing the coil IC therebeneath to jump upwardly through the short intervening space into contact with the lower surface of the magnet, whereupon the carriage 69 will be moved forwardly by means of the motor,

96 to bring the magnet and coil directly above the empty pallet on the elevator platform 28. The operator will then de-energize the magnet to drop the coil on to the pallet, and then retract the carriage so that the magnet may pick up the next coil. Before the carriage is moved forwardly again, the platform 28 will be lowered, by means of its motor 3|, a distance approximating the width of one coil. In this manner each coil may be superimposed on the preceding coil Vto -form a stack or pile of coils. V.When thispile has reached a desired height, the platform 28 will be lowered to permit the loaded palletv to rest on the conveyor rollersv I6 and be` pushed along the conveyor I5, so that another. empty pallet may be brought into position above. the platform to receive the next coil. Loaded pallets may be removed from the conveyor l5 by means of vthe usual lift truck with its ltongue or blade 26, which may enter the open side of the pallet as shown in Fig. 8.

Since the dog 43 is laterally yieldable against the tension of its spring 54 (Fig. 6) `it will not interfere-with the removal of the coils from the conveyor 3G evenfthough the magnet does not lift the coils suicientlyto clear the dog." By opening the switch 50 (Fig. 1) -the operator may hold the dog 43 of Fig. 4 in its retractedwposition, so that any particular coil may be allowed to continue downwardly along theconveyor 36 past the magnet. In this manner the operator can avoid transferring to the -piles vany coils `which vare Atoo small in outside diameter orv which are for-any other reason defective. The pallets 2| areof-,very light, simple,` and inexpensive construction, and yet unusually strong and rugged.

VHaving thus 'described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters' Patent is:

l'. Apparatus for handling annular articles of magnetic material, such as coils of strip steel, comprising a conveyor along which articles may travel to an unloading station, a platform located at one side of the unloading station, means to raise and lower the platform, a pallet supported on the platform, and an electro-magnet movable back and forth in a generally horizontal path between a position above the unloading station and a position above the platform to transfer articles from the unloading station to the pallet and form a pile of superimposed articles thereon.

2. Apparatus for handling annular articles of magnetic material, such as coils of strip steel, comprising a downwardly inclined series of idler conveyor rollers along which articles may travel under the influence of gravity to an unloading station, means to stop each article at the unloading station, a platform located at one side of the unloading station, means to raise and lower the platform, a pallet supported on the platform, and an electro-magnet movable back and forth in a generally horizontal path between a position above the unloading station and a position above the platform to transfer articles from the unloading station to the pallet and form a pile of superimposed articles thereon.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which an escapement mechanism is provided in advance of the unloading station to stop the downwardly traveling articles and release them to the unloading station one at a time as required.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which manually operable means is provided to release any selected article from the unloading station for further downward travel along the conveyor rollers.

5. Apparatus for handling annular articles of magnetic material, such as coils of strip steel, comprising a downwardly inclined series of idler conveyor rollers along which articles may travel, a dog located between two of the rollers, means to project the dog upwardly into the hollow center of each article to stop the article at an unloading station, a platform located at one side of the unloading station, means to raise and lower E zitheaplatform; a palletsupported: on :the platform, :an'deanelectro-magnet movable vback "and forth inafgencrally*horizontallyxpath between aipositon ivaboye the unloading-station anda position above ftheplaztform'totransferzarticles from the `.u-nvleading .station to the pallet .andi form a pile uof :superimposed articles thereon.

fApparatus'as set forth 'claim 5, in which ,.therdog .is fyieldable ina lateral direction/toward .rthe gplatform,so .that the .dog cannot-.interfere with the removal of the articles fromthe unload- ',ngfstation by the electro-magnet.

t7. :Apparatus-.as set forth:in,;claim. ,5,V inzwhich stile u dog isproj ected upwardly .by means :respon- .xsive `to la v.control device, the control .device ,being fiarrangedforactuation by the frontportion of :teach zzarticle. assit.r approaches ,the z unloadingestaation.

i8. :Apparatus-for l,handling annular articles `of .:magnetic material. such as Vcoils ,of strip `fsteel, -gcomprisinga ,conveyor along whichlarticles may ,iiravelto an unloadingstation, a platform located :at A,one side of the unloading station, means to *.raiseiand lower `the platform, a pallet supported thegplatform a carriage movable back .and`

forthdn agenerally ,horizontalpath between a position :above the unloading station and l,a posi- :tionfabovev the-platform, an.;electromagnet supported by the carriage to transfer articles from fthe .,u-nloading station to .thpallet vand .form a :g2-pile of -ssuperimposed articles fthereon. and ,afsta- :tiona-ry horizontal ,guideway.supporting-,the car- ,a ,apparatus as set forth in Vclaim e, 1x1-,which i etheeelectro-tmagnet iszconnected @to the Ycarriage means .is adjustable manually .-,to -vary saccage? `the'l-ieight v.f i the i electroarnagnetf. relative .to. .the

carriage.

T10. y*Apparatus"for.handling annular articles 'of vmagnetic material, Asuch :as coils ofvv strip isteel,

t comprising arconveyor. along .which articles l.may

travel to an unloading staton,ztwo,spacedfpar- Aallel rowsof idler rollers.extendingypastthemnloading stationfand at a ,considerably lower -elevation 'thanthe .said station, a platformlooated between thesaid two `rows and :adjacent 1to; the unloading station,...means .toizraiseandslower .the platform, :a: pallet .supportedonthe platformsand f-having parts .arranged .to rest .on .the said idler 1 rollers when the platform; is fully glowered, .and

an. electro-magnet: movablexback lando-forth in. a ,generally-:horizontal path betweerrapositionfabove `.the .unloading station .and a 'position above the Vplatform .to transfer farticles from :the unloading station .to the pallet-andiorm pa `pile of vsuperlimposed articles thereon. MYLES MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references-:are 1.of=recorld -nthe file of this patentz UNITED STATES PATENTS 

